Typewriting machine



Jan. 30, 1923.

C, B. CORCORAN. TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

FILED FEB 4 1921 Patented Jan. 30. 1923.

CORNELIUS B. CORCORAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR T0 UNDERWOOD TYPE- WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application led February 4, 1921.

To f// :cho/n if may concern.'

Be it known that I, Colmi-11ans l. Concoimx. a citizen of the United States, residing in borough of the Bronx, in the county of the Bronx, city and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovelnents in 'lypewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for use in centering the carriages of typewriting machines, and is illustrated in connection with an Underwood portable typewriting machine.

A case is usually provided for this compact type of machine, to enable it to be carried safely, and said case fits the main frame of the machine closely. lt is essential there- Jore that the carriage, which travels tothe right and left, be centrally positioned with respect to the main frame before the cover is put on the case, in order that the carriage will not project unduly to either side thereof and obstruct the closing of the cover.

'lhe present invention provides a simple and efficacious device to enable the carriage to be centrally positioned conveniently and quickly. The device comprises two springpressed levers at the rear of the machine, one of said levers adapted to be actuated by thc case cover in closing, for operating the second lever, to throw the upper end of the latter forwardly into Contact with the usual rear paper-table of the carriage; and when the carriage has thus been centrally positioned, the end of said lever is adapted to lodge in a notch cut in the paper-table.

The engagement of said second lever with the notch in said paper-table prevents movement of the carriage to the right or left. The second lever is provided also with a bent portion intermediate its length, adapted to overlie the usual margin rack at the rear of the carriage to prevent'shifting of the carriage in a vertical direction.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is an end view of an Underwood portable machine with the invention applied thereto, showing the parts of the machine in ineffective position before the cover is applied.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l, showing the cover in the act of closing and rendering the device eective.

SerialNo. 442,400.

Figure 3 is a rear view, partly sectioned,

, in locking engagement with the paper-table of the carriage, the cover being closed.

Figure 4 is avrear view, showing the carriage in non-centralized position, the upper end of the lever being out of engagement with the notch of the paper-table.

il. carriage l is mounted for transverse movement upon a fixed frame 2 by rollers 3, 4, operating upon front and rear rails. The carriage is adapted to be fed along by an escapenient mechanism, of which the ratchetwheel 5 and pinion 6 are shown, operative by keys 7. A rack S pivoted to the carriage is adapted to mesh with-the pinion, said rack being releasable from said pinion by the operation of a lever 9. The carriage is provided with the usual rear paper-table l0.

T he fixed frame 2 is adapted to rest upon a base 20, to which it may be attached by any suitable means. Attachable to the base is a cover having a top 2l and sides 22, the sides being adapted to hang over and come substantially down to the base 2O (see Figure 3).

The mechanism for use in centralizing the carriage l on the frame 2 comprises a bracket 30, having two branches 3l connected by a strip 32, each of said branches terminating at its lower end in a flange 33, by means of which the bracket is fastened to the base 20 by screws 34. A lever 35, having an enlarged. elongated end 36, is fixed upon a shaft 37 journaled in the branches 3l. A second lever 40 is fixed to a shaft 4l, similarly journaled in the branches 31 above the shaft 37. The lever 40 has a short lower end extending a short distance below the upper end of lever 35 and a. long upper end bent intermediate its length at 42, so as to seat itself over the marginal rack 43 of the carriage, and provided at its end with a tooth 44 adjacent the upper edge of the papertable. u

The upper arm of lxever 35 and the lower arm of lever 40 are provided with openings whose axes are in the same horizontal plane, and in which is inserted a` bolt 45 having a screw-cap 46. .A spring 47 is adapted to be carried loosely by the boltand between the arms of the levers to keep them constantly spread apart to the outermost limits ofthe bolt. The lower end 36 of the lever 35 .passes through an opening 50 in the base 20,

said opening leading to a horizontal groove 5l, in which is positioned a spring 52 nor-A mally pressing the end 3G outwardly.

When the cover is placed on the base 2() to close the case, the rear wall of said cover will press end 36 inwardly, thus compressing spring 52. At thc same time the upper arm ot' lever 35 compresses spring 47, forcing the lower arm ot' lever 4()'outwardly and the upper arm inwardly. Tooth 44 is pressed against the upper edge of the paper-table. A notch 60- is provided in said upper edge at Such point that, when the carriage is centrally positioned with respect to the mam frame, the notch is opposite the tooth 44, and said tooth can snap into the notch. lVhen the cover is about to be closed, therefore, the tooth 44 may be pressed Jforwardly against the edge of the paper-table, as in the full-line position of Figure 2, either by pressing with the finger upon the end 36 ot' the lever 35 or upon the upper end ot' the lever 40. It is then only necessary for the operator to move the carriage until tooth 44 snaps into notch 60, as in the dotted-line position oi Figure 2, to assure the centralized position of the carriage upon closing of the cover.

The tooth 44 on the lever 4() and the notch 60 in the paper-table l() constitute indicating means which facilitates the centering of the carriage l on the frame 2. In the use of such means, the carriage l may be moved to align the notch 60 with the tooth 44 either with the tooth 44 spaced from the rear edge of the table l0, as shown in Figure l, or pressed against the edge of the paper-table 10, as hereinbefore described and as shown in Figure 2. Inl case the alignment of the. tooth 44 and the notch 6() is eected with the parts in the positions shown in Figure 1 the accuracy or' f the alignment may be tested by pressing the upper end of the lever 40 toward t-he papertable 10 by engagement of the fingers either with the end 36 of the lever 35 or directly against the lever 40. After the tooth 44 and notch 60 have been thus determined to be in proper alignment, the cover may be put on the case of the machine, whereupon the engagement of the cove-r with the end 36 of the lever 35 will cause the tooth 44 to enter the notch 60.

spring 47 is also released, and the upper arm ot' lever 4() movesrearwardly, thus disengaging tooth 44 from notch (i0.

Variations may be resorted' to within the scope ot' the invention, and portions ofthe improvementsl may be used 'without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a base, ot a typewriter frame, a carriage adapted to travel on said frame, a cover adapted to tit over said base, and a locking member to engage said carriage at a predetermined portion thereof, said carriage being centrally postioned when said locking, member engages said portion, and said cover being adapted in closing to operate said locking member.

2. In a t-ypewriting machine, the combination with a base, of a typewriter trame, a carriage adapted to travel on said frame and having a margin rack, a cover adapted to fit over said base, and a locking member adapted when operated to engage said carriage at a` predetermined portion thereof, said carriage being centrally positioned and locked against lateral movement when said locking member engages said portion, said locking member being adapted when operated to overlie said margin rack and lock said carriage against vertical movement, and said cover tbeing adapted in closing to operate said locking member.

3. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a base, of a typewriter frame, a carriage adapted to travel on said frame, a cover adapted to fit over said base, a normally inoperative lever adapted when operated to engage said carriage at a predetermined portion thereof, ysaid carriage being centrally posit-ioned'when said lever is in engagement with sad portion, and means actuated by said cover in closing for operating said lever.

4. In a typewriting machine, the'combination with a base, of a typewriter frame. a carriage adapted to travel on said frame, a cover adapted to tit over said base, a. normally inoperative lever pivoted for movement relative to said frame and adapted when operated to engage 'said `carriage at a predetermined portion thereof, said carriage being centrally pos'tioned when said lever is in engagement with said portion` and a second lever also pivoted for movement relative to said frame and operatively connected to said first lever, said cover being adapted in closing to actuate said second lever to operate said first lever.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combinationA with a base, of a typewriter frame, a carriage adapted to travel on said frame, a cover adapted to t over said base, a normally inoperative lever pivoted for movement relative to said frame and adapted when operated to engage said carriage at a predetermined portion thereof, said carriage being centrally positioned when said lever is in engagement with said portion, a second lever also pivoted for movement relative to said frame, said first lever having a depending arm, said second lever having an upwardly-extending arm, a bolt connecting said arms` said arms being freely slidable on said bolt, and a spring normally forcing said arms outwardly-to the ends of' said holt, said cover being adapted in closing to actuate said second lever to compress said spring to operate said first lever,

G. In a typewriting machine, the coinbination with a. base, of' a typewriter frame, a. carriage adapted to travel on said frame, a paper-table fixed on said carriage and having a notch in its upper edge, a cover adapted to fit over said base, a normally7 inoperative lever pivoted for movement relative to said frame and adapted when operated to engage said notch, said notch being so positioned on said paper-table relatively to the carriage and said lever that said carriage is centrally positioned on said frame when said lever engages said notch,

and means actuated by said cover in closing i for operating said lever.

7. In a typewriting machine, the combinationwith a base having a groove, of a typewriter frame, a. carriage adapted to travel on said frame, a paper-table fixed on said carriage and having a notch in its upper edge, a cover adapted to fit over said base, a bracket fixed to said base, a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket and having an upwardly-extending arm adapted to engage said notch and having also a downwardlyextending arm, a second lever pivotally mounted on said bracket and having an upwardly-extending arm and a downwardlyextending arm, a resilient connection between the iipwardly-extending arm of the second lever and the downwardly-extending armcf the first lever, the downwardly-extending arm of the second lever having an enlarged end adapted to operate in said groove, and a spring in said groove normally pressing said enlarged end outwardly, said cover being adapted in closing to press said enlarged portion. inwardly against the action of said spring to operate said first level' through said resilient connection.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a base, ot' a typewriter frame, a carriage adapted to travel on said frame,

said carriage having a margin rack, a coveradapted to fit over said base, and means for preventing vertical shifting of said carriage when said cover is applied, said means comprising a normally inoperative lever pivoted for movement relative to said traine and having a portion adapted to overlie said margin rack when said lever is operated, and means actuated by said cover in closing for operating said lever.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a base, of a typewriter frame, a carriage adapted to travel on said frame, said carriage having fixed thereto a margin rack and a paper-table, said paper-table having a notch in its upper edge, a cover adapted to fit over said base, a norinall \7 inoperative lever pivoted on said frame and provided at its iipper end with a tooth adapted to engage said notch, said notch being so positioned on said paper-table relatively to the carriage and said lever that said carriage is centrally positioned on said frame when said tooth engages said notch, the engagement of said tooth in said notch preventing the lateral movement of the carriage, said lever having a portion adapted to overlie said margin rack when the lever is operated to prevent vertical movement of said carriage, and means actuated by said cover in closing for operating said lever.

l0. Inpa typewriting machine, the combination otra base, a typewriter-frame mounted on the base, a carriage mounted td travel on said frame, a cover constructed to fit over said base, and carriage-locking means on said base operable by said cover.

l1. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a base, a typewriter-trame fixed to the base, a. carriage mounted to travel on said frame, and a lock-bolt mounted for movement on the base, independently-of the base and ofl the typewriter-frame, to cooperate with a catch on said carriage t'or preventing movement of the carriage relative to the typewriter-traine and the base.

12. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a base, a ty])ewiiter-frame fixed to the base, a carriage mounted to travel on said frame, and a lock-bolt mounted for movement on the base, independently ot the base and of the ty])ewriter-frame, to cooperate with a catch on. said carriage for preventing movement ot' the carriage relative to the typewritertrainc and the base. said bolt'and catch being visible from the front of the machine.

CORNELIUS B. CORCORAN. lVitnesses:

EDITH B. Linnnv,

JENNIE P. THORNE. 

